Lebanon: Spiritual leaders call for dialogue

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Lebanon's spiritual leaders on Tuesday called for intensifying efforts to form the new cabinet as President Michel Suleiman warned that differences have reached the level of committing suicide. The spiritual leaders, in a statement summing up their summit hosted by Suleiman at the Republican Palace, also called for launching national dialogue to tackle differences among the feuding political factions.

According to Naharnet, the statement reiterated commitment to a ban on the use of weapons to settle political differences as outlined by the Doha Accord.

The nation's spiritual leaders also condemned "all forms" of fanaticism and violence.

The statement urged all the Lebanese to cooperate with President Suleiman to facilitate his leadership of the nation to stability and prosperity "in cooperation with parliament and the new cabinet."

Suleiman, in a welcome address, voiced hope that the summit of spiritual leaders would pave the road to launching national dialogue. "Differences among the Lebanese have reached the level of (committing) suicide," the president warned.

"We sense seriousness of the threats targeting Lebanon after months of factional agitation," he told his guests.

"Let us work on cooling off the differences to avert factional conflicts and we'll proceed after that to tackling other issues," he added. "By meeting today, you say that our nation is based on peace," Suleiman told the spiritual leaders. "Politicians should be messengers of peace," he added.